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Long Term Kappa review not favorable

19K views 65 replies 42 participants last post by  Nemesis 
#1 ·
From Edmunds:

Long-Term Test: 2006 Pontiac Solstice

So that's that.

After 12 months and more than 17,000 miles, the sun has finally set on our time with our long-term 2006 Pontiac Solstice. If you've read anything we've written about the Pontiac in the last year, you won't be surprised that we're not terribly broken up about the parting of ways with this little roadster. While it provided us with lots of wonderful photographs, the sexy-looking drop top wore us down over the long haul with high levels of interior noise, a jarring ride around town and a drivetrain that provided more vibration than enjoyable performance.

Bottom line: The Solstice is a bargain-priced beauty, but with a few too many rough edges.

Why We Bought It
On a rare rainy day in Las Vegas in late 2005, we were able to procure what was — at the time — the most sought-after American vehicle in years and certainly the most significant. In the months leading up to its debut, the Pontiac Solstice had built an impressive level of buzz within automotive circles based on marketing drawings, hearsay from General Motors sources and a healthy level of anticipatory optimism for a drop-dead gorgeous roadster first seen as a concept at the 2002 North American International Auto Show.

The dealer gave us a knowing look as he handed over the keys. Certainly we knew someone. Nobody could get these cars. And here we'd driven from Los Angeles and paid $2,000 over sticker just to pick this one up. By the time we were ready to go, nearly half the dealership's staff was peeking around corners, through windows or over cubicle walls to get a look at the new owners of the Pontiac Solstice.

And off we drove in the rain with a heady sense of self-importance.

How It Drove
Within weeks, the buzz was already wearing off. The Solstice was soon the last car taken by our editors virtually every night. By the end of its 12-month run, it often sat idle in the garage for nights and even entire weekends.

How could a car go from Snoop Dogg to Vanilla Ice status in such a short stint? Where do we start? There were major issues like its harsh ride, sloppy transmission and bizarre rooftop retraction design, to minor problems like a lack of storage space and the chassis squeaks and rattles aplenty. Worse still, the Solstice was constantly being compared with the long-term 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata parked next to it in the garage.

"After spending the weekend in our long-term Miata, I've spent the last two days with the Solstice. It hasn't been the easiest transition, and not just because of the difference in their personalities," wrote Senior Content Editor Erin Riches. "It's also the Pontiac's inconsistent fit and finish that's getting me down. Many of the Solstice's plastic dash panels are misaligned, and several have flashing on the edges left over from the molding process. Keep in mind that our Solstice isn't a pre-production car supplied by the manufacturer — it's representative of what a normal buyer would find at the dealership."

It's not that the Solstice doesn't have its positive aspects. It stands as a head-turning beauty everywhere it goes, and its driving dynamics are impressive, with tight handling and peppy acceleration. Sadly, any run through its gears is tainted by an unpleasant and just-too-loud roar from under the hood. The Pontiac's 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder revs too slowly and feels too rough.

Automotive Editor John DiPietro had a number of criticisms of the Solstice. "The engine makes good power, but suffers from what feels like a heavy flywheel. It revs up and down too slowly. It doesn't feel sporty."

The problem is how crude the car feels, because its performance numbers say the Solstice should be a winner. A quick look at the test numbers from the track show impressive statistics — a 7.2-second 0-60-mph time, a 15.6-second quarter-mile at 88 mph and a 66.2-mph spin through the slalom. All are comparable to or better than the Miata.

And you can't help but feel for such a beautiful vehicle. At times, a top-down ride home on a smooth open road would be downright magical, only to be destroyed by a top-up, traffic-filled return trip in the morning.

Road Test Editor Brian Moody summed up the bizarre feelings left by the vehicle with this missive in the long-term blog: "When the top is down, it squeaks horribly and the whine from the transmission isn't getting better with age. Then again, my 4-year-old son says he loves the car so much he wishes we could drive it "everyday." Of course his fondness for the car has more to do with the fact that the top goes down than anything else. What he doesn't know is that there's no shortage of affordable drop tops these days. I love the Solstice, I hate the Solstice — and so it goes every time I drive the car."

Inside the Cabin
Living with the Solstice is a challenge. While its main competitor, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, offers a usable trunk, the Solstice does not. With only 4 square feet of cargo volume with the top up and virtually none (around 1.5 square feet) with the top down, grocery shopping is an impossibility. Editors would have to buy milk today and orange juice tomorrow.

By cannibalizing the trunk space for the rooftop storage system, Pontiac engineers began a series of compromises that eventually put the beauty of the car ahead of the driver/owner/passenger's respective happiness.

While the Miata offers a brilliant top system that folds down with a single over-the-shoulder gesture, locking with a simple push-down — we did it once in 1.5 seconds — the Solstice is cumbersome at best. You must exit the car, pop the trunk, lift the lid, detach the roof, fold down and then shut the lid. Our best time in the Solstice was more than 20 seconds to get the roof down and locked. Thanks to a poor design, the latch hook that secures the roof to the windshield frame can be bent easily when putting the roof down for storage. We did it about a dozen times.

Summing Up
When it came time to sell the Solstice, it became apparent that demand for noisy, jarring, yet beautiful roadsters isn't really all that high.

"We looked at sales data and decided to try for a fairly high sale price on what we thought was a desirable convertible," said Consumer Advice Editor Phil Reed. "We listed it on Autotrader.com for $22,500 and received only one call. Two weeks later we dropped the price to $20,500 and received no calls for two weeks. We felt that $20,000 might be a psychological barrier so we dropped it to $19,500 which was our Edmunds.com True Market Value® (TMV®) price at clean condition. We received one call from a woman who was shopping for a Solstice with an automatic transmission. It was a short conversation."

With winter coming, and the appearance of an AutoWeek article about slow Solstice and Sky sales, we cleaned up our long-termer and took it down to Carmax. It was a very pleasant experience. A sales rep took our information and led us to a waiting area. After a half hour of mindless daytime TV our sales rep summoned us into a nearby cubicle and informed us they were willing to pay $20,000 for the Solstice. We tried hard to contain our enthusiasm, since this was $500 more than our asking price. We have seven days to accept their offer and we certainly will.

So that's that. We won't have a lot of fond memories of the Solstice, but will probably break out her photo once in a while when the MX-5 isn't around and indulge ourselves by wondering what might have been. And what could be with a few more years of development.

True Market Value at service end: $20,940 (dealer retail) $19,716 (private party)
What it sold for: $20,000
Depreciation: $4,425 or 18.1% of $24,425 original paid price
Final Odometer Reading:17,530
Best Fuel Economy: 25.1 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.2 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 21.8 mpg
Total Body Repair Costs: $350
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 14 months): $281

Ups and Downs
Ups: A fantastic-looking car for a bargain price. You can pull this baby up to any valet stand and fit in with the Mercedes and BMW crowd.

Downs: Chassis squeaks. Top design is too Rubik's Cube. Engine and transmission just feel crude and the ride comfort should simply be improved.

The Bottom Line: If you're only in the market for looks, the Pontiac Solstice may be for you.



Dealer Service Reviews
15,000-Mile Service:
Boulevard Buick/Pontiac/GMC in Long Beach
Oct. 10, 2006

We pulled into the service drive on time for our scheduled 7a.m. appointment and were pleased to see we were the only car in line. The optimist in us saw this as the line half-empty and was looking forward to the service finishing quickly and being on our way. It turns out that the line was really half-full because it wasn't until 9:30 that the keys were back in our hand and we were paying the bill.

Service items performed: Change oil and filter, service emission system, rotate tires and a "Goodwrench" visual inspection of tires, belts, fluid levels, etc. Total bill for parts and labor, $225.96

I'm not even going to get into this. I already ripped on it on my Grand Prix forums. Talk about a bunch of...well...I'm not going to say it.

And has anybody else figured out the top trick that lets you close it from inside the car like I have? I mean seriously...under 5 seconds easy.
 
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#2 ·
I still cannot undestsand people's beef with the top. I drive a jeep wrangler and at this top seemed like a godsend compared to what i've been dealing with for the past 5 years. oh no, you have to get out and pop the trunk by pushing a button, cry me a river. In a jeep you unhook two latches, unzip two windows, unzip the rear window, roll it up, attach it with clips, then unhook four side latches, then you can fold the top back making sure nothing snags.

the top is fine, the mx-5 top might be 10 seconds quicker but good gosh get real. these reviews are getting ridiculous.
 
#46 ·
I just saw this (I know, holidays were busy what can I say?) and I'll tell you, really simple.

  1. Roll down the driver's side Window.
  2. Unlatch the roof.
  3. Open trunk using key fob.
  4. Reaching outside of the driver's window and back you can get your fingers under the trunk lid.
  5. Flip up quickly with your fingers to open the trunk. This takes practice as you don't want to flip too hard. Just enough to get the trunk just under 45 degrees.
  6. As the trunk goes up lower roof. Should slide in under the trunk going up.
  7. Trunk should begin to descend again if you've flipped it up right. If not, you can reach up and grab the latch in the middle of the trunk's leading edge so long as you have it at 45 degrees or less.
  8. Close trunk.

All this can be done from in the car. I did it on the last run I went on and had a Solstice owner come up to me and say in excitment, "Did I just see you put the top down from inside the car!?" Yes... "Can you show me how you did that!?!?!?"

Seriously, I've done this in stop and go traffic. Takes all of a couple seconds once you get it down.
 
#5 ·
Out of the mouth of BABES

Then again, my 4-year-old son says he loves the car so much he wishes we could drive it "everyday."


..."EVERYTHING GOES GREAT WITH CARAMEL"

....So the editor 4 yr old son LOVES the car ?.........;

....."Truly I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a "YOUNG CHILD"...will by no means enter enter into it........


..NUFF SAID......

:deadhorse
 
#6 ·
17,000 miles in 12 months? Somebody enjoyed this car.

And about the top: the critics NEVER mention the clean lines left when the top is down on the Sols/Skys.

Squeeky chassis? Have I missed this problem? :confused:
 
#7 ·
:( This is so sad.

And for friggin car magazine editors....boy did they let the dealership rip them off with that 15k mile service! LOL At a Saturn dealer you would've got the "Goodwrench" visual inspection for free. I know for a fact that an oil change w/ filter plus tire rotation should cost $50 tops. Service emissions? Is that warranty work?

These people just kill me. :( OMG, I just lost 20 seconds of my life to put down the top. Well geez...that 20 seconds must be WAY more important than enjoying the sun and breeze in a convertible. My dad's old Buick GS convertible had a power top, and I bet it took AT LEAST 30 seconds for that thing to go down. :lol:
 
#10 ·
Man! Am I glad I got a Sky and didn't buy a Solstice:D At the risk of once again being labelled "a damn Sky Troll", did anyone post this over there? Like others I don't get the roof complaints. To me it's a nonissue. Also, no one buys this car expecting to use it for grocery shopping or trips to Home Depot.

These people just kill me. :( OMG, I just lost 20 seconds of my life to put down the top. Well geez...that 20 seconds must be WAY more important than enjoying the sun and breeze in a convertible. My dad's old Buick GS convertible had a power top, and I bet it took AT LEAST 30 seconds for that thing to go down. :lol:
:agree:

:lol: All I can do is laugh at this. I love editors and extremely opinionated people. They crack me up. Some day people will learn to judge a car for what it is, not what it isn't.
:agree:
 
#8 ·
:lol: All I can do is laugh at this. I love editors and extremely opinionated people. They crack me up. Some day people will learn to judge a car for what it is, not what it isn't. I have said it before and I will say it again, ever car makes compromises to accomplish one thing or another. The solstice looks good and performs great at an incredible price. They had to sacrifice a little ride comfort and practicality for this but if they gave it a bigger trunk and more comfort, it wouldn't look as good nor would it handle as well. Personally, I'll take the good looks and great handling over practicality and comfort any day. If you want comfort and practicality, buy a Cadillac, not an open top roadster.
 
#9 ·
I agree, in some of their eye's it's an American car not an import and that just cannot be. I remember in the late 60's and early 70's that Japan motorcyle manufacturers bashed the old out dated antiquated American "V" Twin design engine. That their superior in-line 3's, 4's and 6's would rule and dominate the market forever. Seems now they can only make V-Twins. So goes the "expert" opinion concerning the Solstice and for goodness sakes the SKY, after all its only a Saturn!
 
#21 ·
You and I might not want to use them, but ah, my jeep dealer (and many other dealers) uses them as one of their sources to find out how much "a used car is worth"--:eek:
 
#15 ·
Long-Term Test: Automobile Critics Opinions

So that's that.

After dozens of magazines and countless articles, the sun has finally set on our time with our long-term automobile "experts." If you've read anything they've written about the Pontiac Solstice or Saturn SKY in the last year, you won't be surprised that we're not terribly broken up about the parting of ways with these little hacks. While they provided us with lots of wonderful photographs, their clueless ramblings wore us down over the long haul with high levels of incomopetence, a jarring style and a obsession with Miatas that provided more opinionated bloviating than useful information.

Bottom line: The auto critics fill up the pages with words, but with a few too many rough edges.

Summing Up
When it came time to put the magazines away, it became apparent that demand for clueless, abrasive text combined with beautiful roadster photography isn't really all that high. The lucky ones go to the garage and look at their cars and just "know" what truth is.

So that's that. We won't have a lot of fond memories of the writers, but will probably break out the photo spreads once in a while when the sun isn't around and indulge ourselves by wondering what might have been. And what could be with a few more years of higher education and a smattering of common sense.

The Bottom Line: If you want to read quality articles and useful reviews, Playboy Magazine may be for you.
 
#16 ·
Long-Term Test: Automobile Critics Opinions

So that's that.

After dozens of magazines and countless articles, the sun has finally set on our time with our long-term automobile "experts." If you've read anything they've written about the Pontiac Solstice or Saturn SKY in the last year, you won't be surprised that we're not terribly broken up about the parting of ways with these little hacks. While they provided us with lots of wonderful photographs, their clueless ramblings wore us down over the long haul with high levels of incomopetence, a jarring style and a obsession with Miatas that provided more opinionated bloviating than useful information.

Bottom line: The auto critics fill up the pages with words, but with a few too many rough edges.

Summing Up
When it came time to put the magazines away, it became apparent that demand for clueless, abrasive text combined with beautiful roadster photography isn't really all that high. The lucky ones go to the garage and look at their cars and just "know" what truth is.

So that's that. We won't have a lot of fond memories of the writers, but will probably break out the photo spreads once in a while when the sun isn't around and indulge ourselves by wondering what might have been. And what could be with a few more years of higher education and a smattering of common sense.

The Bottom Line: If you want to read quality articles and useful reviews, Playboy Magazine may be for you.
:agree::thumbs:
 
#20 ·
Buy what you like, by all means. I looked at Honda's S2000 and the Miata. Impressive, both. Well made, too. No complaints. But when I looked at the Sky I fell in love. A few rough edges? Sure: how about don't close the hood with the front doors open? That's a glaring one the dealer pointed out to me, since his door had a dent from it. But did I jump at the chance to put down $500 just to place my name on a list to be able to order one? You bet. Why? A. It's American, and I (oh, pardon me if I offend anyone) love America...not everything America does, but I love America.
B. It is an awesome car. I test drove it and thought I never wanted to leave it.
C. I could care less about the funky roof. Sure, a little more thumb pressure on the engineers by the GM brass and they could have had a design that could have fit into a slot with it's own little flap, like several convertibles. But they didn't. Should have, but didn't.
D. I don't drive and drink, so could care less about cup holders. But they stink. I'll admit it. But I don't care.
E. Brother-in-law works for GM, and other BIL does, too. Who wouldn't buy one of their products? But this is a minor point, really.
Summary: It's the heart and soul of the car I love. Nuff said.
 
#26 ·
Thanks Mr. Limbaugh, I listen to your show every day....
 
#27 ·
Here is another opinion...

Dateline Chicago:

12 inches of snow fell last week followed by 12 degee temps. Put my Sky in Garage and went to Florida to visit Pops.

Pops has a new Lexus RX330 with 953 miles. Wonderful car. Smooth as silk ride (boring).

Came back to Chi town, temps back up to 50 degees, no snow. You know what's next.

Pull out the Sky today, 993 miles on it. Zip around town. (Great ride and lot's of fun).

So there you have it folks. Two opinions. Take your pick. I take the Sky, Today, Tommorrow, Every Day.
 
#35 ·
nothing is wrong with Rush--he's a great mouth-piece for all the red state Nazi Party members
 
#37 ·
With winter coming, and the appearance of an AutoWeek article about slow Solstice and Sky sales,
Speaking of AutoWeek, they didn't have much good to say about the Solstice in their Driver's Log (18 December issue, p16). The reviewer didn't like the quality of the materials (he mentioned the dash in particular), and said the car "lacked refinement." He went on to say he thought the suspension was soft (which is ironic, since this seems to be one of the comments that Kappa owners make about the MX-5). Anyway, I figured this wasn't worth a new thread; but for those of you who grouse about moto-journalists, here is another to add to the list.
 
#42 ·
This is what irks me the most about Auto journalists. They spend their time driving around and writing about Ferrari's and the like, so much so, that they can't appreciate what a lower car looks like, and why it looks that way. Well, DUH, of course the $25k car won't look as nice inside as the $40k or $50k car. I think they get so biased about 'build quality' from driving around models from all over the price range, that when they get into something that really is nice for it's price, they can't see the forest for the trees. :( :banghead:
 
#43 ·
I take my time putting the top down so people have ample opportunity to drool over the car,..not on it though:lol: I try not read reviews as they don't seem to express my opinions enough:cheers:
 
#44 ·
Some of you guys are way to sensitive. The only opinion of this car that counts is yours. Let them spout all of the BS they like but in the end you're the one smiling. :)
 
#45 ·
I totally agree with SteveR. If Edmunds, or Car and Driver don't like the Kappa, so be it, but who the hell cares. Life's too short to be aggrevated by some bozo who, for whatever reason, has a different preception of what constitues a great car. I say hit them where it hurts, take Edmunds off your URL bookmarks, or cancel your subscription to magazines that print this crap.

Happy holidays to all of you driving the best looking car in the universe!

larry4pyro
 
#63 ·
agree



Car and driver would like it if it cost 75K. These people are way out of touch when it comes to what they think is a good car for the price. I love the Corvette, but 80K for the Z06, what world are they from:confused:How about the 09 model for over 100K. I think maybe the people at GM are just as confused as the writers.:thumbs:
 
#51 ·
LOL Roof issue: NOT AN ISSUE; Noisey chassey not really, just a squeaky wind deflector. SLOW; HMMM MAYBE A HEAVEY FLY WHEEL. TURBO WILL CURE THIS. NOISY ENGINE? ARE THEY KIDDING ME? NOISY TRANNY WELL I AGREE WITH THEM THERE!!!! COMFORT, STYLE, LUXURY? GOD IT HAS ALL YOU NEED!!! (EXCEPT POWER LOCKS:banghead: :banghead: ) I acutally feel safe knowing that there isnt any thing extravagant for a crook to drool over and damage the car. THE BMW and Mazda LOOK SO WIMPY!! BIG PEOPLE LOOK SO CRAMPED IN THE THINGs, JUST DOESNT LOOK MANLY OR SEXY ENOUGH FOR ME. FOR THE PRICE $28K OUT THE DOOR the SKY CANT BE BEAT!!
 
#52 ·
Believe it or not arm length may not be a problem. I kind of have to bend my arm a bit funky because it's too long...usually overshoots the edge of the trunk. A little shorter arm might help but really don't think I need to modify the arm just for this. LOL I manage. LOL

I've found you want to do this on flat ground. Uphill is tough because you have to be really light with the flip. Way too easy to flip too hard and have the trunk go all the way up. :banghead: Downhill and the trunk won't go up as far and try to close faster...but far better than uphill.

So if I come to Kappa to do a demonstration (which, of course, will mean I'll screw it up for sure) will you tape it to post it online for Barry? LOL
 
#58 ·
how can you push the top down in the trunk while still seated in the car?... I believe you when you say you're capable of doing this...but aren't you worried that the top won't seat correctly?
 
#60 ·
Maybe that's where my height comes in handy. :) But no, never had a problem. Also, with mine the part that usually doesn't seat is the rear crossmember of the top. If you just closed the trunk the trunk itself can press down evenly on this member and seat it properly. However, doing it this way will mean you will probably have to close the trunk twice.

The ONLY problem with this meathod is you have to have almost nothing in your trunk and KNOW that the side areas where the buttresses stow is completely clear.
 
#59 ·
I dont often reply, but read...so this is what i have to say....The reason I bought my redline was because I seen another person pull up in a 2.4 and was stunned how amazing the car looked. The person in the car was cool and confident. Whenever a guy pulls up in a "miata" what is the first thought that come to you??? ....Think about that one. Get my point? Have fun all you masculine miata drivers! Hahahaa
 
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